Crusader or Mad God?
by GreyWarden2009
Summary: Based on an Oblivion character after Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. May contain spoilers, I guess. Reviews would be nice. The story does get a little violent. Ending is slightly different than in the game.
1. The Beginning

Leonidas, a Nord who was until very recently a prisoner in Cyrodill prison, looked out over the foothills that surrounded the isolated and abandoned priory. This place was a holy ground that once housed the relics of Pelinal Whitestrake, the Crusader who defeated the Ayleid sorcerer Umaril long ago. The ghosts in the Priory's under croft spoke of the ancient relics, all of which Leonidas was wearing or wielding now. The other knights, all of whom Leonidas had sworn into the order after he took up its role, were busying themselves with repairing the grounds. Thedret and Areldur were repairing the waist high stone wall that encircled the priory while Avita Vesnia was cleaning up the chapel. Geimund and Gukimir were out hunting for the night's dinner. Lathon, Sir Roderic's former squire, was over in Anvil purchasing armor for the priory horses. The other two knights were in Anvil with Lathon, but they were helping to repair the chapel there that had been attacked. Leonidas took in the view, breathing deep as the sun set.

"Is something wrong, Leonidas?" Leonidas turned and saw Avita standing there, holding a bundle of firewood.

"No, Avita. Just admiring the sun set. Kynareth blesses us all with sights like this." Leonidas said, turning to face the half-repaired priory.

"That she does. Repairs on the Chapel are finished." Avita said, heading between the main building and the chapel towards the stables where the cooking fire was being set up.

"We are almost done, Sir Leonidas." Areldur said, looking at the knight.

"Take your time, and please, call me Leonidas." The Nord said, smiling behind the helmet. Thedret glances up and smiles. Leonidas nodded at the knight before entering the Priory main building. Thedret and the others had found his body next to the foul sorcerer Umaril, which the Knights of Nine had to defeat after they recovered the relics which Leonidas wore, and brought his body here and kept his death a secret from everyone except the order. When Leonidas emerged from the spirit realm, a place high above Cyrodill, he found himself in the under croft on an altar, his body positioned as if he were dead (which he later found out that he was for a short while) like the previous Knights of Nine. He spoke with the previous knights once more before the knights finally went to their eternal rest, which they deserved. Leonidas emerged from the under croft and Thedret was the first to see him, for he shrieked in surprise, thinking Leonidas an undead. Leonidas told them of his confrontation with Umaril's spirit form, and Thedret told him what happened while Leonidas was doing battle with Umaril the second time. The Knights of Nine rejoiced when they had heard their leader had returned from beyond the grave (so to speak). It has been two weeks since Umaril's ultimate defeat, and the Knights busied themselves with repairing the Priory. Leonidas' thoughts fell back to when he had escorted the priest, Martin, to the Blade's Fortress of Cloud Ruler Temple where he was recognized as the Emperor's only heir, and was to be the new Emperor. Leonidas sighed, recalling that he should lend whatever aid he could to the new Emperor, even if no one knew there was a new Emperor.

"Dinner's on the fire, my lord!" Geimund called up the stairs.

"I'll be right down." Leonidas replied, taking off the Crusader's helmet. He went down the stairs and out into the yard. Before he went out back, Leonidas saw a rider coming down the small path that led from Kvatch to the Priory. Leonidas recognized the rider as a guardsman from Kvatch.

"Sir Leonidas? I have a message for you from Count Savlian." The guardsman said, awed by the fact that the Hero of Kavatch was the new Crusader.

"A message? What for?" Leonidas asked.

"He asks that you and he go see Brother Martin north of Bruma. He also told me to say that you are free to bring your Knights with you. He is bringing a small contingent of guardsmen with him on the trip." The messenger said.

"Hmm...very well, tell him that I will meet him west of Kvatch and that I will bring two Knights with me." Leonidas said. The rider nodded, then rode off towards Kvatch.

"Areldur, Thedret! Come here!" Leonidas called out. The Knights jogged around the main house, expecting trouble.

"Is something amiss?" Thedret asked.

"No, but we must go to a place north of Bruma, to a place very few know about, such as this place. Avita! I'm leaving you in charge. You, Geimund, and Gukimir are to stay and protect the Priory in our absence. We will be back soon. Should something happen at Kvatch while we and the new Count are away, you must aid them and bring them here, understood?" Leonidas asked, fetching the Crusader's helmet.

"Understood, Leonidas. Travel swiftly and may the grace of the Nine be with you." Avita said. With a parting nod, Leonidas and the two knights mounted up and rode off to meet the Count.

"Ah, Leonidas! I have heard of your recent exploits as the Crusader! And to think, you were just the Hero of Kvatch! Turns out you were meant for much, much more. Are we ready to go?" Count Savlian asked. Four Kvatch guardsmen accompanied him

"We are. Did Jauffre send you a message?" Leonidas asked.

"He's the one who requested our presence on behalf of the new Emperor. He sent Baurus here to Kvatch to deliver the message." Savlian said.

"Crusader." Baurus said with a nod.

"Baurus. How goes the investigation?" Leonidas asked solemnly.

"Not as well as we would hope. Not much is known about the Mythic Dawn." Baurus frowned.

"Hmm...oh well. How is Martin? I haven't seen him since we parted ways nearly two months ago." Leonidas said as the group of eight men headed off towards Bruma.

"He is handling things as best as he can, I suppose. The shock is wearing off and he seems to be handling his new role well, though he thinks he should do more. Such is the ways of new Emperors, I suppose." Baurus said.

"Hmm..." Leonidas settled into deep thought and rode in silence until they reached Bruma.

"Cold as ever up here." Areldur frowned. Thedret and Baurus laughed and Savlian smiled.

"Not much you can do until we reach the temple." Leonidas chuckled slightly.

"That's easy for you to say, you're a Nord!" Areldur grumbled. Leonidas just laughed.

Once they reached the path to the temple, Baurus took the lead. The temple gates loomed over the eight riders and a voice shouted down from above.

"Who goes there?" The voice demanded.

"It is I! Baurus of the Blades! I bring with me Count Savlian of Kvatch and the Crusader of the Nine, Leonidas!" Baurus shouted.

"The Crusader, here? Open the gates! The Emperor and the Grandmaster are waiting in the main hall." The voice said and the gates opened.

"Seems your title holds power even here! It is good that the Blades have not forgotten the heroes of old." Areldur said, shivering. The riders entered the fortress and the gates swung shut behind them. The four guardsmen dismounted and waited by the gate with two other Blades. Savlian and Leonidas ascended with Baurus and the two knights.

"Areldur, go warm up in the dining hall. Thedret, you stand guard here, then switch with Areldur every hour." Leonidas said.

"Understood, my lord." The two knights said before assuming their posts. Baurus held the doors open for Savlian and Leonidas. Martin and Jaffre stood at the opposite side of the hall. Savlian and Leonidas approached, then fell to one knee in front of the Emperor.

"Rise, friends. We need not worry about ceremony here, do we?" Martin Septim asked.

"I suppose not, my liege." Leonidas said, then rose to his feet, as did Savlian.

"Count Savlian, I hope Kavatch's reconstruction goes well?" Martin asked.

"It does, my lord. It is thanks to you and Leonidas that so many people survived. After he brought you here, I take it, he returned to Kvatch and helped us drive back the Daedra and take back Castle Kvatch." Savlian said.

"You have my thanks for that, Leonidas. What is this I hear about the Crusader? Are you wearing Whitestrake's relics?" Martin asked.

"I am. I am the new Crusader, leader of the Knights of Nine. Two weeks ago, we destroyed that which Pelinal Whitestrake only banished momentarily: Umaril. First we destroyed his body in Garlas Malatar, then I destroyed his spirit form high above Cyrodill, on the spirit plane in which I received a vision from Pelinal Whitestrake himself." Leonidas said.

"Really? That is incredible! What are you and your knights doing now?" Martin asked curiously.

"West-south-west of Kvatch. The only path leading to the Priory of Nine is east of Kvatch. I have two knights with me, and I left three to watch over the Priory, and Kvatch, should anything happen. Three knights are currently in Anvil, one purchasing equipment while the others are repairing the chapel there." Leonidas said.

"Interesting. I'll have to come visit when this is all over." Martin said with a gesture.

"That would be good. So, what would you have us do?" Leonidas asked.

"We need to go retrieve the Amulet of Kings, the Blades have not had any luck in searching for it." Martin said.

"Too few eyes and ears in our command. If we let the Imperial Legion know that their is an heir right now, all chaos would break loose. We need the assistance that you, as the Knights of Nine commander, and Count Savlian can provide." Jauffre said.

"And would you enlist the assistance of daedra, if you could determine if they were friendly or not?" Leonidas asked thoughtfully.

"What are you getting at?" Jauffre asked.

"That door that appeared at Nibien Bay? That led to the former Sheogorath's domain." Leonidas answered.

" 'The former Sheogorath?' What are you saying?" Martin asked.

"Sheogorath is no more." Leonidas answered, amusement creeping into his voice.

"So who is in charge now? Who is the current Mad God?" Jauffre asked, baffled.

"I am." Leonidas chuckled.

"What? You are not a god!" Martin said, confused.

"No, I am not a god. I am the ruler over that land, but I am not mad. I am completely sane, so fear not. The lands themselves have not changed much, but the towns and the citizens have changed drastically when I took the mantle of leadership in that land. When I arrived in that land, everyone was as insane as the Mad God, except for the daedra guards, the Golden Saints and the Dark Seducers. Now, however, the citizens' state of mind is as if they were never insane in the first place. The towns themselves were in disrepair when I arrived, but now they are in their hale forms, quite similar to Anvil or Bruma, depending on where you are. I'm more of a King there than a God anyways. They call me King Leonidas, the Kind One, but we won't go into that now. Let's just get this business done and over with. My question to you, Emperor Martin Septim, is this: will you accept help from the daedra if someone can vouch for them?" Leonidas asked.

"Are the daedra of the Shivering Isles different than the daedra that attacked Kavatch?" Martin asked warily.

"Absolutely. They are extremely loyal to their leader, which is me right now, and will follow my orders even if it leads to their death. Preferably, though, I do not want to waste their lives. They are not so different than us mortals besides the fact that they are daedra and we are not. The daedra that attacked Kvatch were the Dremora and the Scamps, lesser daedra in my opinion. The daedra under my command are the Golden Saints and the Dark Seducers, both types are far more deadly than Scamps or Dremora." Leonidas said.

"With such powerful forces under your command, has it ever crossed your mind that you could take over the weakened Cyrodill?" Jauffre asked cautiously.

"I was wondering when we would get to that. No, I have not thought of attacking this land. I have spent far too much time here as the Holy Crusader, stopping another rising evil that would have destroyed Martin's Empire while your attention was focused on the Mythic Dawn and the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. Will I ever attack the Empire? No, I will not and you have my word as the Holy Crusader that I will not attack you or any person in your Empire. In fact, I will defend you and all of your allies, as does the Blades, if you'll have me, my Knights, and my daedra warriors." Leonidas said, falling to one knee in front of Martin.

"Rise, Leonidas. I accept your vow and all the help you can muster." Martin said.

"Very well. Mirel! Issmi! Come forth!" Leonidas bellowed. A Dark Seducer and a Golden Saint appeared in a spell circle that appeared on the floor.

"Yes, my lord?" The two daedra asked.

"We will be assisting the Emperor of Cyrodill in his quest to drive out Mehrunes Dagon. Gather your strongest Aureal and Mazken, then return here and await further orders. Make sure to leave enough soldiers to defend the Shivering Isles while we are away." Leonidas said.

"Yes, Kind One." The two daedra said, bowing. They disappeared in a flash of light.

"They were beautiful!" Baurus whispered after several moments passed in silence.

Leonidas chuckled, "They are like a poisonous flower: beautiful, yet deadly."

"I see. We should wait until tomorrow before we do anything. Get some rest, everyone." Martin said, retiring to the bed chambers.

"He's right. If we are to be of any use to the Empire, we must be at our best, and we won't be without rest. See you in the morning." Savlian said, following Jauffre to the barracks. Leonidas was soon left alone in the darkening main hall. Leonidas sighed and went outside to where Areldur was now assuming his post.

"I'll take over, Areldur. Get some rest and tell Thedret to do the same." Leonidas said.

"Are you sure?" Areldur asked hesitantly. When Leonidas nodded, Areldur went inside. A group of seven Mazken and seven Aureal appeared not long after Areldur went inside.

"We are ready, my lord." Issmi and Mirel said simultaneously.

"Good. Two Mazken and two Aureal need to take up positions along the battlements, evenly spaced. Issmi, Mirel, you two defend this entrance here. The rest of you need to take up position along the stairs, evenly spaced. The other mortals are inside resting and getting prepared for the battle ahead. All fourteen of you will be fighting alongside of my Knights of Nine as well. Watch over the Knights when you can, and they will watch over you when they can. Above all, protect the Emperor. Understood?" Leonidas asked softly.

"Understood, my lord." The daedra all said in unison. They took up their assigned positions along the stairs and battlements. Leonidas made slow patrols along the battlements and stairs, speaking with each of the daedra, familiarizing himself with them and learning how long they have been in service to Sheogorath before Leonidas took over. Dawn arrived shortly, shining upon two riders coming up the mountain flying the banner of the Knights of Nine.

"Do we let them in, my lord?" An Aureal, Elythra, asked.

"Yes." Leonidas said, standing at the base of the stairs.

"Lathon, Geimund, what are you doing here?" Leonidas asked when the riders arrived.

"Avita sent us up here after she received a vision from Kyraneth herself, said that you would need more help. Besides, Areldur is an archer, he'll need more help during battle." Lathon said, wheezing from the cold mountain air. Geimund merely nodded as he studied the surrounding daedra.

"Who are the ladies?" Geimund asked. Lathon looked at Geimund for a moment, then realized that there were daedra there.

"We are the Mazken and the Aureals from the Shivering Isles. We follow the Kind One's orders, so fear not mortals." Elythra said.

"Aureals? Mazken? Who is the Kind One?" Lathon asked.

"You would know my race as the Golden Saints. I am an Aureal. You would know the other race here as the Dark Seducers. They are the Mazken. The Kind One is King Leonidas himself." Elythra said reverently.

" 'King Leonidas?' When did that happen?" Geimund asked.

"Shortly before I took up the pilgrimage of the Nine in search of the Crusader's relics. I took over the Shivering Isles after Sheogorath left after the Greymarch." Leonidas answered simply.

"So you were far more important than you let on! This is interesting..." Lathon muttered. He sat on the stone steps for a breather, obviously not used to the cold, thin atmosphere.

"While Lathon takes a break, Geimund, could you go to the barracks and wake Areldur and Thedret?" Leonidas asked.

"Sure thing." Geimund said, then began jogginig up the stone steps. Leonidas looked down the path and saw a red-black mist gathering at the base of the winding path.

"Elythra! Sound the alarms! **We have incoming! Prepare for battle!**" Leonidas bellowed, making his voice heard even inside the fort. He drew his sword and sprinted out the main gate before it closed, unhindered by his armor. He ran towards the edge and leaped off, landing on a Dremora and driving his sword through its heart as it emerged from a newly formed Oblivion Gate. More Dremora poured out from the Gate, threatening to drive back Leonidas, but arrows rained down around his from the battlements above. _Good job, girls_, Leonidas thought, sending his daedra a silent thanks. Seeing that the Mazken and the Aureals had this place under control, Leonidas dove into the Oblivion Gate, but it seems the Dremora expected him for there was about twenty of them waiting on the other side, fully armored.

"_Welcome, Crusader, or should I say Kind One? No matter. My lord Mehrunes Dagon wishes you dead. Farewell, Crusader."_The lead Dremora said. The Dremora moved as one, all moving in for the kill. Leonidas met them head on, expecting death, but when he heard the clash of steel behind him as his shield intercepted many of the Dremoras' swords, he looked over his shoulder. What he saw was a Dunmer wearing full Blades armor (minus the helmet) and wielding a flaming scimitar.

"Let us fight together, Crusader! The Nerevarine and the Crusader fighting side-by-side, what a sight, eh?" The Dunmer grinned. Leonidas grinned as well and nodded. With a roar, the two warriors leaped in opposite directions, laying waste to the Dremora. Once the fight was over, Leonidas sheathed his sword and held out his hand.

"Thanks for the assistance, Nerevarine. My name is Leonidas." The Crusader said.

The Nerevarine accepted the handshake, "I'm Griev. So you're the Kind One, hmm? Lady Azura told me all about you. You took on the mantle of the Mad One after Sheogorath left, completely reshaping the Shivering Isles from the foundation and up. That is no easy feat. Neither was defeating Jyggalag. Let me tell you what, though I defeated Hircine, I doubt I could have handled Jyggalag and his Knights of Order on my own." The Nerevarine said.

"I didn't. I had the assistance of the Aureal and the Mazken." Leonidas said, making his way towards the center daedric tower.

"No? Well, What about Umaril? That must have been a pain in the neck." Griev grimaced.

"It was. Technically I died. I came back to life in the undercroft of the Priory of Nine, my home." Leonidas said, pushing the door open and dispatching a few scamps.

"Really? Lucky break, eh? How are the daedric ladies treating you?" Griev asked, casting a hard core frost spell, instantly freezing two dremora that were rushing them.

"They are loyal, extremely loyal. I'll bet my little stunt back there put them on edge. I'll bet they want to follow me through the gate, but that is why I left them with specific orders to protect the Emperor." Leonidas said, ascending the spiral staircase.

"The Emperor? My commander was in the Blades, you know. We were on our way back to the capital when we were attacked by the daedra. I followed them through the gate after they slew Caius Casades. Looks like your gate closed behind you though." Griev said, looking out a large circular window. Leonidas looked out, then cursed.

"Where did you get in?" Leonidas asked.

"Over there, across the lava vein. It's still open if you want to leave this place." Griev said.

"Are you coming?" Leonidas asked.

Griev hesitated, "...Sure. Time to give Spymaster Caius a proper funeral." They both cast a levitation spell and walked across the lava vein. While the levitation spell was in effect. the two ascended the tower without setting foot inside until they reached the top. The Nerevarine cast a Gods' Fire spell which devastated the roof of the tower, allowing them entry to where the sigil stone was nestled. Leonidas removed the stone and the two were teleported out of Oblivion and to Battlehorn Castle where the men-at-arms mopped up the few remaining scamps. Leonidas noticed an older man wearing Blades armor lay still on the ground in the larger concentration of daedra corpses.

"Captain, ready three horses." Griev said.

"Yes, m'lord." The lead man-at-arms said. Three horses were brought over from the stables. Leonidas helped hoist the dead Blades onto one of the horses, then mounted another horse. After Griev mounted and left orders with the captain, they set off for Chorrol. The journey to Bruma was about a two days solid ride. When they arrived at the Cloud Ruler Temple, the Oblivion gate was indeed destroyed and the gate to the temple remained closed and intact.

"Open the gates! Crusader coming in with two Blades!" Leonidas shouted. The gates immediately swung open and the three horses galloped up the stone steps.

"What happened? Who is this man?" Jauffre asked, glancing at Griev.

"His is Caius's apprentice. He said this was Spymaster Caius Casades." Leonidas said.

"We were stationed in Vardenfell. He left early to return to the capital and I had some business to take care of before I could follow. My job was completed, so I followed." Griev said simply.

"What rank did you hold?" Jauffre asked.

"I was an Operative in the Blades. I was sent to Vardenfell from the Imperial City's Prison on the Emperor's order and made a Blades field member." Griev said.

"You are the Nerevarine then. Welcome to the Blades Fortress, friend. It is good that you bring Caius's body here for it's funeral." Jauffre said, taking one last look at his old friend before the other Blades took Caius's body to the training yard where two Blades were setting up a funeral pyre.


	2. Arrival

"I'll leave all of you to your business. I'll be inside when you are done." Leonidas said respectfully. He went into the Great Hall and sat down at a table strewn with books. Elythra and Issmi followed Leonidas inside.

"My lord? What happened inside that gate?" Elythra asked.

"Nothing the Nerevarine and I couldn't handle. What happened here after the gate closed behind me?" Leonidas asked, taking off his helmet.

"The remaining scamps and Dremora were all killed. We, nor the Blades or your knights, suffered any casualties. The Kvatch guardsmen emerged unscathed as well." Elythra reported.

"I see. Issmi, relay these events to Staada and Haskill. Ask them if there is any way we can set up a fountain of rebirth for both the Mazken and Aureals out here, alright?" Leonidas said, leaning back in the chair.

"Understood, my lord." Issmi said, disappearing.

"Your orders, my lord?" Elythra asked after a few moments passed in silence.

"You and Mirel are to be Martin's personnal guards for now. That duty will be shared by you and the Blades, so try to avoid any tension." Leonidas yawned widely.

"Understood, my lord." Elythra said, bowing. She hesitated a moment, then left the hall, leaving Leonidas alone. The Divine Crusader sifted through the books, glancing through the titles.

"Hmm..." Leonidas looked over his shoulder and saw the Nerevarine closing the door behind him.

"So, you were let out of the Imperial City's prison too? Looks like we have a lot in common. Former convicts turned hero, what a resume, eh?" Leonidas asked, grinning tiredly.

"You too? I suppose we do have a lot in common. You were there when the Emperor was assassinated? Tell me about it." Griev said, pulling up a chair to sit across from Leonidas.

"Mythic Dawn attacked en masse, killing two Blades and the Emperor himself, but not before the Emperor told me to take an amulet to Jauffre and to find Martin, his illegitamite son. Baurus and I were the only survivors, but there was no way we could save the Emperor. They set an ambush for us and we walked right into it. What's done is done and in the past. What are they planning out there?" Leonidas asked.

"I don't know. I left after the eulogy. What happened then? Martin and Jauffre aren't wearing any amulet." Griev said.

"I know. Martin is the only one who can wear the blasted thing anyways. The Mythic Dawn attacked Weynon Prior, where Jauffre was waiting for me and Martin, while I was rescuing Martin from Kvatch, which the Daedra attacked some time before. Jauffre lost the Amulet of Kings to the Mythic Dawn when they attacked the Priory. We arrived as they were leaving, but were unable to recover the Amulet. Things are coming to bear against us, my friend. The only way to recover the Amulet is to hunt down the Mythic Dawn leadership and sever the serpent's head and let the body burn in the fallout. So far, there are no leads." Leonidas grimmaced.

"I see. Things are turning on us. More and more bandits keep cropping up in a land without a leader. Things will only get worse before they get better, as the saying goes." Griev said.

"Way to brighten the mood, sunshine. Oh well, what will you do now?" Leonidas asked.

"Watch your back as you try to get that Amulet, that's what I'll do." Griev grinned.

"Looks like I'll be needing your help with the way things are going. We better get to it." Leonidas said, donning his helmet.

The Imperial City's Talos Plaza was as busy as ever as a dark haired boy in his late teens weaved through the crowd, guiding his equally dark haired sister through the mass of people. The two wore furs as if they just arrived from the Skyrim border, which they had. Their guide took them as far as the Imperial City before they parted ways. The two had pale white skin, black hair, and icy blue eyes. Their ears were slightly pointed, standing out as indicators that they were of elven ancestry. The boy led his sister towards a gate which led into the Elven Garden, which in turn led to the Market District and to the Fighting Chance.

"How may I help you youngsters?" The woman asked.

"I'd like to purchase two iron shortswords and a steel dagger, please." The boy said, looking over the selection.

"That will be 200 gold total. Where are your parents?" The woman asked.

"We're on our own and have been for awhile. Here you are." The boy said, handing the woman the gold. He collected the weapons and handed the dagger to his sister.

"Keep this with you at all times, Kara." The boy said. He fastened the two shortswords to his belt, one resting in its sheath on each hip.

"You know I don't like weapons, Mikhail." The girl said, looking at the dagger offered to her with what resembled fear.

"I know, but we need to be ready for anything. We need to get moving before nightfall." The boy, Mikhail, said tiredly.

"..." Kara said nothing, but she did fasten the dagger to her belt.

"Thanks again, ma'am." Mikhail said, leading his sister through the door and out onto the streets of the Imperial City. The skys darkened slowly as the two made their way towards Leyawin. Rain soon began to fall, but the two pressed onwards. The rain came down harder, forcing the two to jog the rest of the way. They entered the town, receiving an almost sad look from the guard at the gate, and entered the tavern that was run by a dunmer woman.

"What can I do for you kids?" The Dunmer asked.

"I'd like a room for the night, please." Mikhail asked.

"For the both of you? That will be 15 gold. First door when you get upstairs." The dunmer said. The two nodded, then went upstairs. Mikhail tucked his sister into the bed, then went and sat on the floor near the door. Sleep quickly took him and wasn't awaken until he heard the window opening the next morning. Kara leaned out the window, studying her surroundings.

"Where are we going today, brother?" Kara asked, smiling as she watched a bird flutter past.

"I was thinking that we should head north, to Bruma. We're used to the cooler weather anyways. Where did you want to go?" Mikhail asked.

"Can we go to Anvil? I always wanted to see the sea." Kara said, turning to face her brother.

Mikhail stood up and brooded over this for a moment, "...Alright. We only stay there for a few days, okay?"

"That's great! Thank you, brother!" Kara said, giving her older brother a hug.

"Okay, okay. Should we get horses? We've only got so much gold, you know." Mikhail said, opening the bedroom door.

"No, I like to walk." Kara said, leading the way down the stairs and outside.

"Cute girl." An Argonian snickered. Mikhail's expression darkened exponentially, making him look far older than he was.

"I'll say. Stand back, boy, the girl is coming with us." A woodelf said. Kara flinched behind Mikhail.

"Lay a hand on my sister and you die." Mikhail growled, grasping the hilts of his shortswords.

"Oh ho! I think the boy just stood up to you, Maglir!" The Argonian laughed.

"Shut up. You should have just backed away, boy. Time for you to die." The woodelf said, drawing an iron longsword. Keeping himself between the woodelf and his sister, Mikhail unsheathed his swords and settled into a foreign stance, one used by an extinct race of elves. The woodelf growled and launched himself at Mikhail, swinging his sword about like a madman. Mikhail side-stepped a few slashes, then lashed out at the elf, disarming him and piercing the elf's black steel cuirass. Maglir went down without a sound. The Argonian hissed and drew a battle axe.

"What's going on here?!" A guard shouted. The sounds of more guards approaching sent the Argonian into flight, leaving the two teenagers alone with the woodelf's body.

"We were assaulted. They said they were going to take my sister to do Ysmir knows what. I only did what I could and defended my sister." Mikhail said, sheathing his swords.

"Blackwood Company again? Well, you better watch out. They don't take kindly to people standing up to them and killing some of their own. Where are you headed? Maybe we can send you there with an escort." The guard asked while several other guards cleaned up the mess.

"That would be nice. We're heading off to Anvil for a few days, then we'll be going north to Bruma. Are you sure it won't trouble you?" Mikhail asked.

"Not at all. Anyony who can stand against the Blackwood Company is worth it in my book. My name is Josef. I'll take you there myself, but there is something about you that seems odd. Where are you from?" The guard, Josef, asked.

"We're from the island of Solstheim in Morrowind, Vardenfell district." Mikhail answered.

"Really? You don't look like Nords, and you certainly aren't of Dunmer blood. Tell me...are you Falmer?" Josef asked, his eyes glinting in the sunlight.

"...Yes." Mikhail answered cautiously.

"This is excellent! I knew the Falmer weren't killed off by the Nords. Where were you raised?" Josef said, laughing.

"Skyrim. Not too far away from Bruma, actually, that is why we are heading north after our visit in Anvil, to be close to home." Mikhail said.

"A good as reason as any. Mostly Nords in Bruma though, a roudy bunch when they're drunk." Josef said, leading the two teenagers to the stables where he picked up a bay horse and two paint horses. He handed the reigns of the paint horses to Mikhail, who helped his sister mount one of the horses.

After Mikhail mounted the horse, his acute hearing picked up hoofbeats on the road to the north, "Someone is coming."

"Hold, sir knight! What be your business in Leyawin?" Josef asked, hand inching towards the hilt of his silver longsword.

A knight wearing full mythril pulled his black horse to a stop, "I mean no trouble, sir, I was just looking for some work."

"Oh, well, there is not much work here thanks to the Blackwood Company. If you seek employment, your best bet would be to head west. We are heading that way ourselves and you are welcome to joind us, sir knight, if you wish." Josef said, relaxing.

"If you don't mind my asking, why is a city guard traveling away from the city he is to guard?" The knight asked.

"I offered to escort these two to Anvil on account that they had a...run in with the Blackwood Company that did not end well. What is your name, sir knight?" Josef asked.

"I am Mikelus, a knight of no noble standing. And you?" The knight asked.

"I am Josef, Leyawin city guard." Josef said, mounting up.

"And the two of you?" Mikelus asked, looking over at the two elven teens.

"I am Mikhail and this is my sister Kara." Mikhail answered.

"Hmm...very well, I will accompany the three of you to Anvil. Maybe I should join up with the Fighters' Guild there." Mikelus said, falling in behind the teens, letting Josef take the lead. The four proceeded in silence until they reached a barricade just south of Bravil manned by Balckwood mercenaries.

"Well, look what we caught in our net, men: a troublesome guard, a wandering knight, our friend's murderer, and the pretty girl our friend Maglir died over. Kill the men but bring the girl to me." An Argonian said. Mikhail recognized this Argonian as the one from earlier.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told my friend: touch my sister and you will die." Mikhail said coldly, dismounting and drawing his swords.

"What hope do you have against ten of us? It is you who will die this time, boy." The Argonian said, narrowing his eyes.


	3. Death of a Falmer

**Author's Note: The story gets a little dark this chapter, but bear with me**

"We shall see." Mikhail said, settling into the fighting stance he had used against Maglir. Josef and Mikelus dismounted and drew their swords and stood on either side of Mikhail, each facing the Blackwood Mercenaries. The mercenaries each took a swig from an unmarked bottle, making them a slightly crazed group except for the Argonian who sat back and watched. The mercenaries charged the trio like a group of berserkers, all brandishing their weapons above their heads as they ran screaming. Mikhail took two steps foward and lashed out at the nearest berserker as the Orc brought his war axe down in a vicious swing, narrowly missing Josef as the guard plunged his sword into the unprotected flank of a Nord. Mikelus parried a Dunmer's sword before lashing out at an Imperial with a mace. Mikhail barely heard his sister scream before he felt her shoving him into Josef. He looked over his shoulder and his heart broke at what he saw.

"_**Kara,**_" Mikhail screamed when he saw an Argonian woman drive a shortsword through her frail form, "_**noooo!!**_" Mikhail rushed over to his sister's side, completely ignoring the Blackwood Company mercenaries.

"What a shame, she would have made a good concubine for some of our clients." The lead Argonian said, grinning darkly.

"S-Sorry, M-M-Mikhail..." Kara stuttered, trying to speak.

"Shh, you'll be alright. Don't try to talk. Josef! Mikelus! Help!" Mikhail called out. When the two did not come, Mikhail looked up and saw that they were still locked in combat, barely blocking the various attacks being thrown their way. The Argonian stood above Mikhail and his dying sister, smiling coldly.

"It's...too bad...I never...got to...see the sea..." Kara said, a tear rolling down her cheek before the light dimmed in her eyes. Mikhail howled in sorrow, holding his lifeless sister close to his body as he wept.

"Pathetic. She was useless, though she may have been good in bed." The Argonian snickered.

"I'll kill you." Mikhail said, setting his sister on the ground, folding her arms across her chest.

"What?" The Argonian said, all humor lost.

"**I'm going to kill you!**" Mikhail said, launching himself at the Argonian and wrapping his callused hands around the Argonian's throat. The Argonian, surprised by this newest developement, tried to pry off Mikhail in vain. Mikhail kept squeezing until the Argonian's thrashing calmed into feeble gasps for air.

"This is nothing compared to what Kara must have felt so I curse you to the deepest plane of Oblivion." Mikhail said, then twisted his hands sharply. He dropped the dead Argonian before drawing his swords and savagely slaying several other mercenaries. The drink must have been wearing off for a few mercenaries tried to flee, but Mikhail would not let them leave.

"Look, kid, it wasn't us who killed your sister, it was her!" An Bosmer said, pointing at the female Argonian.

"Oblivion's gates open wide to murderers and betrayers, you all will be welcome guests, I'm sure." Mikhail said heartlessly, advancing towards the group. The Bosmer tried to defend himself, but his fate was the same as the others. When Mikhail was finished, the ten Blackwood Company mercenaries were not even recognizable. Mikhail thrust one of his swords into the ground and perched a ruined Blackwood helmet on the hilt, sending a message to the remaining Blackwood Company. He picked up his sister and carried her to the river and built a small raft of timber, then set her adrift. When she was in the center of the river, Mikhail cast a fireball and set the raft aflame, giving his sister a viking style cremation.

Josef hesitated before speaking up, "...Mikhail, I'm sorry about your sister. I failed in my duty as a guard if I could not even protect a single person, let alone a city of people."

"It was...it was not your fault. Judgement has passed on those who were resposible." Mikhail said coldly.

"Stendarr saw to it that they were immediately punished. I assume the two of you were the last of the true Falmer?" Josef asked.

"We were, now I am the last. Can we still go to Anvil? That was where she wanted to go, the least we can do is keep going, it would be what she would have wanted..." Mikhail trailed off, his voice cracking as tears threatened to spill.

"If that is what you want." Josef said, taking off his Leyawin cuirass and folding it, then slid it and the Leyawin shield into the river. Josef reached into his sadle bag and pulled out a blacksmith's apron and pulled it on over the light tan shirt he wore. The three rode in silence the rest of the way to Anvil. Anvil's north gate loomed over them as night fell once more, the sun setting on a tragic day. Mikhail said nothing as he and the other two parted ways.

As Mikhail passed out of ear shot, Mikelus looked Josef in the eye, "What are you going to do with that boy? He won't last long in the state he is in. Sure, he'll be fine physically, but mentally, that is a different story."

"I know, but what can we do? He is a Falmer and their customs are unknown to us! Only a Nord would have any inkling of what to do!" Josef said, watching the elf boy walk around the corner and towards the port.

"Is there something wrong?" A voice said. The two turned around and saw a Dunmer in full armor with a strange sword on his hip.

"No, maybe. Who are you?" Josef asked.

"My name is Griev. I heard you mention 'Falmer.' Is there one here?" Griev asked.

"...He just left. Don't upset him anymore than he already is, he just lost his sister to the Blackwood Company. He is the last of the Snow Elves." Josef said sadly.

"I must be going. Come find me if you or Mikhail ever needs help, alright?" Mikelus said, heading off towards the Fighters' Guild hall.

"I must be going as well. I'll need to find some new work for a while, maybe the stable owner is hiring. You said you wanted to help, right? Try not to bring up his sister." Josef said seriously, looking Griev in the eye.

"Okay. Take care." Griev said, walking towards the port gate. Once he was on the other side, he easily spot the Falmer boy.

"Hey there. What's your name?" Griev said, sitting down next to Mikhail on the bench overlooking the harbor.

"What does it matter anymore?" Mikhail said, his face expressionless.

"Now that's no way to talk. Here, take this. It was written by a Nord about a Falmer called the Snow Prince. You might find it interesting, since you too are a Falmer." Griev said, handing Mikhail a leather-bound book.

Mikhail stared at the cover for a few moments, "...Mikhail."

"So that's your name? That's a pretty good name. I'm Griev. Say, you want to come with me?" Griev asked, looking up at the lighthouse.

"To where?" Mikhail asked, looking over at the Dunmer.

"Well, first we'll need to go meet a friend of mine in the Imperial City. If he isn't there, then he might be at Cloud Ruler Temple." Griev said, standing up.

"...Alright." Mikhail said, standing up. Griev looked over the boy's shoulder and saw the ghost of a young girl standing behind him, looking at the boy sadly. When the ghost saw that Griev could see her, she disappeared. _So, that was his sister? She seems like such a nice girl, what kind of monsters would kill someone so young,_ Griev thought. The two stayed at the inn until morning, then stopped in at Morvayn's Peacemakers.

"How can I help the two of you?" The Dunmer asked.

"I'm going to need a set of...chainmail armor and two elven shortswords for the boy here." Griev said.

"Coming right up." The Dunmer said, turning around to retrieve the armor and weapons from a chest behind the counter.

"Why are you buying me armor? I already have weapons too." Mikhail said, confused.

"You're going to need the armor if it is going to be as dangerous as I think it will be, and the foes we have yet to face will not be harmed by iron shortswords." Griev said.

"And elven are better?" Mikhail asked, still kind of confused.

"After I enchant them, they will be better. Here you go!" Griev handed Mikhail the armor and weapons after handing the Dunmer the gold.

"Tell your friends about me!" The Dunmer called out to them as they left.

"So are we heading to the Imperial City now?" Mikhail asked after he changed and swapped out his swords for the new ones.

"No, we'll be heading to my home west of Chorrol." Griev said, grinning.

/\

Leonidas looked around and saw the entrance to the Mythic Dawn headquarters up the hill to the north of the Imperial City, but east of Bruma.

"This better be worth it." Leonidas grumbled as he urged the horse up the hill. He wasn't wearing his Crusader armor at the moment, but plain brown robes with a brown hood. His only weapon, which was concealed, was an enchanted ebony dagger that had a deadly poisonous effect. Once the horse reached the top of the hill, Leonidas dismounted and lit a torch, then entered the cave. He proceeded cautiously until he saw a Mythic Dawn agent standing guard. Before the guard could say anything, Leonidas was across the room and burying his dagger in the cultist's gut. Taking small pleasure from the quick kill, Leonidas changed into Mythic Dawn robes and entered the base proper. None of the guards questioned him as he infiltrated their ranks until he was stopped by a dark elf.

"Hold, Nord. Who are you, I have never seen you before." The Dunmer said, but was quickly silenced before he could bring any guards to bear on Leonidas. Once again, Leonidas took a little pride in the fact that both kills were quick and relatively bloodless. He hid the body as best he could and entered the shrine and studied the chamber. Mankar Camoran himself stood at the altar and preached to a few of the cultists who were in the room. Leonidas crouched and got as close to the edge as he could, then launched a fireball at Mankar Camoran, but the Mythic Dawn leader disappeared, the fireball sailing through the space he had just occupied.

"Intruder! Kill the intruder!" One cultist screamed. All of the other Mythic Dawn drew whatever weapon they had and turned to face their assailant.

"Now this is going to be fun." Leonidas chuckled and drew his dagger and leaped from the edge he was perched on, landing on one cultist and piercing his heart. Leonidas retrieved the fallen cultist's iron dagger and hurled it at the next closest cultist. Leonidas dashed to another cultist and plunged his dagger into the Imperial's neck. Leonidas felt this strange sensation of glee as he cut short another cultist's life. The last cultist in the chamber clutched a staff to her slender form.

"You will never defeat our Lord Mehrunes Dagon!" The cultist shouted, hurling a bolt of lightning at Leonidas. He laughed as he shrugged off the lightning, then leaped up onto the altar and ended killed her as well. Once he cleaned off his dagger, Leonidas changed back into his brown robes and pulled the hood over his head. He freed the Argonian sacrifice, who thanked him graciously, before retrieving the book that Mankar Camoran had been reading from. Leonidas could sense the evil pouring off of the book as he made his way through the cave, killing any Mythic Dawn he found along the way. Once he was outside again, Leonidas mounted up on the horse he had purchased from Cheydinal and made his way to the chapel in Bruma where he prayed to the Nine to cleanse himself of the rush he felt from the recent killings before making his way to Cloud Ruler Temple.


	4. New Chorrol Mage

"So, what do you think?" Griev asked, looking over his shoulder at Mikhail.

"It's...big." Mikhail said, assessing the castle that stood before him. Griev said it was called Battlehorn Castle. The men-at-arms told Mikhail that Griev inherited the castle from the previous lord after he had stopped the marauder siege a while back.

"It is pretty big. Lots of space, but you get used to it I suppose. Anyways, you'll be needing a job, won't you? Hmm...how about working for the Chorrol City Watch? Last I heard, they weren't doing so hot what with those random mage attacks. Daedra too." Griev said.

"I'll look into it. Where are you off to?" Mikhail asked.

"I have some business to attend to north of Bruma. I'll be back in a few days to see how you are doing.

"I'm not a child you know." Mikhail said, looking far too old for his age.

"Yes, those days have long since passed, I'm sure." Griev said sadly before leaving. Mikhail frowned, then continued his study of the castle before setting off for Chorrol. Once he reached the town, he went straight for the castle, than began asking around to see if the Countess was in attendance.

"Yes, young sir, the Countess is in attendance. Head into the main hall and keep going straight, then you'll hit the throne room. Why do you ask?" A Chorrol guardsman asked.

"I was actually looking to join the Chorrol Guard. I may be young, but you may have use for my skills." Mikhail said.

"Hrm...that may be, but I'm sure the Countess will want to test your abilities before she lets you join. Good luck." The guard said.

"Thanks." Mikhail said, then followed the main hall to the throne room where the Countess was sitting.

"Hello there, stranger. What can I do for you?" The Countess asked politely.

"With your permission, I'd like to join the Chorrol Guard. I know that may be a strange request, but I'm willing to submit to any test you wish me to undertake." Mikhail said.

"That is a strange request indeed. There are various things you can do, actually. The first thing I would like to have you do is to search for a stolen painting that is very dear to me. It was stolen several nights ago and there are two suspects who were not in attendance for that evening's dinner. One is my porter, and the other is the court mage, Chanel. Here is a key, it should let you into any room in the castle, with the exception of my private chambers. Good luck, investigator." The countess said. With that, Mikhail took his leave of the countess and went in search of the Captain of the Guard.

"So, you are the young one looking to join the Guard. What can I do for you?" The Captain asked.

"I'm investigating the theft, the stolen painting. I was hoping you could tell me something." Mikhail said.

"I wasn't in that night, I was out on patrol. I can tell you that I have seen Chanel spending a lot of time in the West Tower that evening. She said it was for research, so I thought nothing of it...at the time. Anything else?" The Captain asked.

"No, sir. Thank you for your time." Mikhail said, leaving the barracks and heading back into the main castle. On the way, Mikhail nearly ran into the Countess's Steward.

"Ah, sir, could I have a moment of your time?" Mikhail asked.

"Certainly. What is it that you need?" The Steward asked.

"I'm heading up an investigation into the stolen painting, could you tell me anything about that evening?" Mikhail asked.

"Alright, but I can't tell you much, as I was with the Countess around the time of the theft. What I can tell you is that I have heard that the porter was asking around for money again, probably to support his drinking habits. A porter's wages do not support that kind of habit, you see. That is about all I can tell you." The Steward said, shaking his head.

"That is alright. Time to go have a word with the butler and the two suspects." Mikhail said, mostly to himself as he headed into the quarters of the Countess's staff. The butler, an orc, was the first Mikhail stopped to talk to. The butler just told Mikhail that he had seen the porter in the West Tower that night, drinking. Mikhail thanked the orc, then headed off to find the porter, who was in his cramped chambers.

"So, you're the Countess's errand boy. Well, I can tell you that I was outside, yelling at the delivery boy for damaging some of his cargo on his way here. Anything else you want to ask, boy?" The porter growled.

"No, sir. Here is a piece of advice: lay off of the wine, it'll only kill you in the end." Mikhail said as he left in search of Chanel, who was in her own chambers, which were larger than the porter's.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" The Court Mage asked.

"I'm investigating the stolen painting. Do you know anything about it?" Mikhail asked.

"No, I wouldn't know. I was out in the courtyard that night updating my star-charts. Anything else?" Chanel asked a little too nicely.

"No, that's all. Thank you for your time, Chanel." Mikhail said._ Your story doesn't match that of the Captain's, so that is strike one_, Mikhail thought. Next up on the list was the West Tower, which so many people mentioned in their stories. Behind some crates was a trap door. Mikhail followed this door into a storage area in which an unusual painting was hidden.

"Odd place to paint." Mikhail said to himself. He went back up the ladder and tried to remember if Chanel or the porter had painting supplies. The porter's room was too small to hide anything, so that left Chanel. He went back to her room and found that she wasn't there, so he took the liberty to sift through her belongings. When Mikhail opened up Chanel's lectern, several paintbrushes spilled out. _Strike two, Chanel_, Mikhail thought. He continued his search of the castle and found his final clue on the carpet near Chanel's seat at the dining table in the dining hall. _Strike three_, Mikhail thought as he confronted Chanel outside of her room.

"Chanel, I am accusing you for the theft of the painting. Please come with me to the Countess, quietly." Mikhail said coldly.

"Don't you want to hear why I stole the painting?" Chanel asked.

"Save your explanations for the Countess. She's the one you stole from, not me." Mikhail answered icily. The mage did as asked and followed Mikhail to the throne room.

"Here is your culprit, Countess. She has an excuse as to why she did it, but she should tell you why, not me." Mikhail said, looking Chanel in the eyes as the guards dragged her off in the direction of the dungeon.

"Good work, inspector. Are you ready for my final task?" The Countess asked.

"I am." Mikhail said.

"Excellent. The Odiil family have had trouble with creatures plaguing their farm. They have come to us asking for help, but we have no guardsmen to spare. So, I am sending you to help out the two Odiil boys, as their father cannot help them in his old age. The two boys are waiting outside of Weynon Priory for you, so hurry." The Countess said. Mikhail bowed and left, heading southeast to the priory.

"So, you are the one they sent to help us? Not much older than my brother, are you?" The older of the Odiil brothers asked.

"No, but you'll be surprised at what I can do." Mikhail said.

"That remains to be seen. We better get moving." The older brother said. He led the way to Odiil farm, where Mikhail could smell goblins on the air.

"Keep your backs against the house. Your creature problem is a goblin tribe." Mikhail muttered darkly. Mikhail prepared his strongest frost spell and waited for the goblins to swarm over the fence. A sharp keening sounded through the trees as the goblins began their rush, running headlong into Mikhail's frost spell, which he called Frozen Hurricane. The rain that had begun to pour quickly froze into daggers off ice that rained down on the goblin horde, cutting many of the goblins down in the initial stage of the spell. Mikhail drew his twin swords and flourished them, causing the wind to pick up dramatically, actually lifting the remaining goblins off of the ground and tossing them violently as the surrounding trees, where they froze on impact. With a snap of Mikhail's fingers, the frozen goblins shattered into billions of crystalline shards.

"Told you that you would be surprised." Mikhail grinned. As he made his way to Chorrol, Mikhail spotted an astounded Chorrol guardsman in the trees, apparently there to see how Mikhail fared against the goblins.

"The Odiil family sends their thanks. They would have come in person, but it seems they have a mess to clean up. From what my guardsman tells me, you could also more than make up for Chanel's absence. You are more than welcome to join the Guard, but would you also like to serve as the Court Mage?" The Countess asked.

"You do understand, Countess, that my duty as a City Guard would come first, right?" Mikhail asked, accepting a Chorrol chainmail cuirass from the Steward.

"Of course. Please, take Chanel's old quarters as your own."

"Thank you, milady." Mikhail said, donning his new cuirass.


End file.
